Community Corner

Holt Ad Targets Climate Change

Rush Holt and Cory Booker released ads playing to their respective strengths on Monday.

Two of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate on Monday released ads in separate bids to become New Jersey’s junior Senator.

U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) released “Climate Change,’’ the latest in a series of one-minute web ads touting progressive causes. And Newark Mayor Cory Booker released a 30-second television spot, titled "People,'' playing up Booker’s commitment to bringing people together for Democratic causes.

“No matter what your background -- race, culture, gay or straight; North Jersey, South Jersey, rich or poor -- our lives are interconnected,” Booker says in the ad. “We cannot have policies that divide instead of bringing us together.”

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Booker then pledges to support Democratic causes like combating child poverty, protecting Medicare and Social Security from cuts, achieving equal pay for equal work, raising the minimum wage and encouraging American innovation and competitiveness.

In his ad, Holt says it is time to stop denying the existence of climate changes and that humans are responsible for it.

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“We can no longer let Republicans deny obvious truths,’’ Holt says. “Our climate is changing. The consequences are lethal. Humans are responsible. And, America must act.”

Holt proposes a carbon tax assessed on industries that “are dumping gasses into our atmosphere,’’ with the money raised to go into research for alternative energy. 

If we don’t act?

Sea levels will rise. Storms like Sandy will become more frequent, he says.

“Entire swaths of the planet will become unfit for human habitation. Millions will  die,” Holt says. “That’s science. That’s reality.’’

The pair of contenders represent one-half of the field vying for the Democratic nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat left by the late Frank Lautenberg. U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) and state Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-34) also are running in the Aug. 13 primary election.

The winner of that election will face off against one of the two GOP candidates – former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan or Somerset County physician Alieta Eck -- in a special Senate election on Oct. 13.


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